Sometimes known locally as the Taniwha Tunnel (after Ruataniwha Point) this was a stock tunnel located on a paper road providing access to and from the beach at the northern end of Parininihi/White Cliffs.
Te Horo Tunnel was begun by the Taranaki Provincial Council in 1859 but not finished until 1889, after John Rigby of the Armed Constabulary was drowned in 1883 while taking some horses around Te Ruataniwha ('Rigby's Point') just to the north. Once the road over Mt Messenger was completed, the tunnel continued to be used until the 1960s by drovers bringing cattle and sheep to the Waitara freezing works. It has been the subject of lengthy access disputes over the years.
Documents
Looking back... droving days Taranaki Herald 22 August 1967
Fading tunnel vision by Chris Lonsdale Taranaki Daily News 24 June 1995
Researcher finally turns spotlight on stock tunnel's mysterious history by Antony Paltridge Taranaki Daily News 21 July 1999
Te Horo stock tunnel set to re-open by Antony Paltridge Taranaki Daily News 22 March 2000
Access dispute slows tunnel work by Rochelle Warrander Taranaki Daily News 14 March 2001
Stock tunnel rusts as dispute drags on by Rochelle Warrander Taranaki Daily News 15 May 2001
Further Reading
History of the Te Horo Tunnel and the Main Road North from New Plymouth to Mokau by Ian Hinton Dudding (1999).
Auckland to New Plymouth in five days (Taranaki Herald 17 December 1859)
LinkFatal accident at the White Cliffs (Taranaki Herald 31 March 1883)
LinkCrown Lands Ranger inspects unfinished road tunnel (Taranaki Herald 14 September 1888)
LinkTe Horo tunnel access stalemate (Taranaki Daily News 26 June 2009)
LinkNo end in sight to Taranaki Whitecliffs Walkway impasse (RNZ 27 April 2019)
LinkRoad Tunnels of Taranaki
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